Diao: Stoke can be proud of style

The former Liverpool midfielder told The Sentinel: "Every club has its identity and I think that is the identity of Stoke.

"The manager has been trying for the last two years to make us understand that this is our identity, this is the way we play, and this is the way we make it hard for other teams. There were a lot of teams who didn't want to play against us.

"When players signed for Stoke we used to talk about how they used to feel about us. Some said even their friends would say they were sick because they didn't want to come and play at Stoke.

"They know they are going to have a hard time because they know the identity of the club.

"It is important to keep that. Football is not how you play, it is about results. As long as the manager likes the way we play, and the players are enjoying it, that is the most important thing.